A lotus birth, also known as umbilical nonseverance, is when the umbilical cord is not cut after birth.
Instead, the umbilical cord is left on the newborn, which keeps them attached to the placenta. The umbilical cord will naturally detach over the course of three to ten days.
While uncommon, lotus births have started to pick up popularity because of the benefits.
When Nick and Vanessa Fisher welcomed their son, Ashton, they made the choice not to cut the cord.
Vanessa updated their family on Facebook days after Ashton’s birth why the couple made this choice:
“Why I chose lotus birth?
Trust the natural process that God created for child bearing.
Allows for the health benefits associated with complete placental blood transfer.
Bonding: Creates a more fluid transition from mother, baby, placenta, & womb to mother, baby, father & world.
Emotionally lotus birthed babies tend to be more serene and peaceful.”
The idea first came to Vanessa when she started researching cord blood options. At first, she read about mothers leaving the cord attached for minutes, or several hours after birth.
This allowed for full placental blood transfer to the baby. After reading about that, the idea spanned into a lotus birth. The idea resonated with her because she wanted to embrace a very natural birth process.
Along with sharing their journey with stunning photos on Facebook, the parents also spoke with Love What Matters to go into more detail about their choices.
“In my mind I imagine the baby spending 10 months in utero only knowing his mother giving him life, his placenta offering him nourishment and the umbilical cord connecting him to both. After birth, baby is normally taken from the womb and separated from his cord and placenta — a series of events that I imagine could be emotionally traumatic for baby. A reintroduction to mother externally cannot be avoided, but a gradual separation from the umbilical cord and placenta seems more emotionally considerate of baby.:
Vanessa felt that leaving the placenta attached allowed it to do its job on its own time, rather than cutting things short.
Her husband, Nick, was surprised by the choice at first, but immediately support his wife. While writing to Love What Matters, Vanessa revealed not everyone was.
“Other family members were not fond of the idea. I think that the most reluctance stemmed from the fact that it was unfamiliar. I didn’t find anyone’s objections valid enough to reconsider my decision.”
Many arguments that Vanessa heard stemmed from it being unnatural and many claimed it was unsanitary. Some even suggested how unpleasant the placenta was to look at.
Along with that, it meant the family would have to be even more cautious than others.
“The placenta being attached would require that they be even more careful with the baby. My son decided he wouldn’t even hold the baby until the placenta was done away with.”
Vanessa shared the entire process and that is was a success for her son. She does not want to force anyone else to have a lotus birth but is happy to have others read her family’s experience.
She wrote:
“In the days following his birth, Ashton’s cord became very dry and brittle like a twig. On day five, the cord snapped. The placenta was separate, and a portion of the cord remained connected to the naval. On day nine, the remaining piece of the cord detached from the naval. The process was successful. It didn’t cause any infection or discomfort to the baby.”
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